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Nintendo Switch Pre-Reveal question and concerns Part 2

And here we are to the Nintendo Switch and it’s rumored customized X2 / customized P1 SoC from NVIDIA. As we’ve seen with the previous chips the K1 is a cut down 730m / 740m with performance around the 540m. The X1 is a cut down 830m / 840m with performance around the 640m. Coincidence, I think not. The Tegra X2 / P1 is more than likely a cut down 930m / 940m with performance around the 740m and this is the chip that should be powering the NX. We know the base model is supposed to Feature a Dual Core Denver and Quad Core ARM A57 CPU, a Pascal based GPU with 256 CUDA cores, and a rumored 4GB of RAM. And while there is no official data on FLOPS performance should range from a minimum of 600 GFLOPS (740m) - 900 GFLOPS (940m) depending on the clock speeds for the handheld, and once the system is docked like the NVIDIA Shield Tablet the SoC should self-overclock up another 10% pushing the device up to a maximum performance range of around 1 TFLOP, just behind the Xbox One. And with that let’s dive right into the performance range of this chip.

The base performance we can expect is equivalent to the 740m, but unlike the NVIDIA Shield Tablet and Shield TV the Nintendo Switch is unlikely to have an Android OS holding it back when it comes to gaming (performance boost #1). Developers will have low level access to code to the metal unlike the NVIDIA devices (performance boost #2). And it’s rumored the CPU performance in the Tegra X2 / P1 which will offer a powerful Dual-Core mobile CPU backed by a Quad-Core Cortex ARM A57 making it a good deal more powerful on the CPU side than its predecessor. For comparison's sake the ARM A57 was the main processor for the Tegra X1 and now it’s the rumored supplemental processor for the Nintendo Switch. So unlike the NVIDIA Tegra devices the Nintendo Switch has the chance to finally display the full power of these chips in their new hardware, allowing performance to theoretically range from the 740m on quick ports, to 840m levels of performance in 3rd party games, up to 940m performance in Nintendo exclusives.

So in comparison to 3rd party cross platform games we’re looking at the following performance for Nintendo Switch if it performs on par with the 940m: https://www.youtube.com/wat...

So overall the Nintendo Switch, if it achieves it’s max potential, should be able to play everything the current-gen of consoles can play so long as it aims for 720p @ low settings. The big challenge will be graphics intensive games and open world games. Graphic intensive games are by all means playable on hardware comparable to the 940m, but the entire point of these games is to make them look as best as possible, so dropping to lowest settings, dropping resolution to 720p, and in some cases framerates completely defeats the point which means we’re less likely to see these type of ports. Next are open world games that will not only be harder for the GPU to process, but the CPU as well, this double taxing on the hardware is going to make porting to NX harder and once again make ports less likely. However, last-gen remaster, games that are E for Everywhere, Japanese games, and eSports games should be able to find easy homes on the Nintendo Switch via ports which honestly is more than enough 3rd party support as long as it continues throughout the lifecycle of the Nintendo Switch.

With theoretical performance ranges out of the way, that leaves up with only a few things to really question up until release for the Nintendo Switch. How much will it cost? What games and software will it have? And what’s Nintendo’s 5 year plan for this device?

Price

Today you can buy an NVIDIA shield Tablet for $199 (16GB) and Shield TV (16GB) for $199. You can also buy the Tablet with a 128GB MicroSD for $239.99 and a 500GB Shield TV for $299. Also over the week of Black Friday and Cyber Monday the Shield TV was on sale for $149 and $249 for the 16GB and 500GB versions while also bundling in the $50 Shield remote for free ($150 for the 16GB version of the last-gen processor and remote, $250 for the 500GB). So those prices are any indication, then the Nintendo Switch should very well be $250 for the base hardware and $300 bundled with a game. http://nvisionapp.com/black...

Virtual Console

There are several rumors regarding what games will come at launch, but a big one that can’t be overlooked is this is rumored to be Nintendo first full Virtual Console dating back from the NES up to the GC offering hundreds and hundreds of classic games over its lifecycle, with emulation proven to run on the Tegra X1, and thus the Tegra P1. https://www.youtube.com/wat...

Is it their only platform?

Finally Nintendo’s 5 year plan, which won’t be answered anytime soon, but the main question should be is this Nintendo’s only piece of gaming hardware for the next / current generation going forward, and for once I hope it’s a resounding yes.

Agreed. A good game is enjoyable regardless of the graphical settings. Great graphics is just the perfect icing on an already wonderful cake.

Sometimes Low vs. Ultra can be small differences to things such a texture details, foliage density, fog, Anti-Aliasing, and particle effects where it's not hugely noticeable. But other time there a big texture differences, foliage density, and draw distance where it does make a difference, but at the end of the day the core gameplay is still what makes a great game.